COLUMBUS – Early Thursday evening, the Ohio House of Representatives passed Gov. John Kasich’s fracking bill, Sub. S.B. 315. The House vote was 73 – 19. A different version of the same bill passed the Ohio Senate on May 15 by a vote of 27 – 6. The House version now goes to the Ohio Senate where a vote will be taken on whether to accept the House amendments. If it passes, the bill would go to Gov. Kasich for his signature. If it fails, a conference committee of three legislators from each chamber would be chosen to work out the differences between the House and Senate versions.

During the floor debate, State Rep. Mark Okey (D-Carrollton) said to House Public Utilities Committee Chair Peter Stautberg (R-Anderson Township), “I think you were quite honest with all of us in the way you characterized what you thought was the balance. You referred to it as a balance between the industry and the administration. I have to ask you: Where’s the balance between the landowner and the industry? It simply does not exist in Senate Bill 315” (video archive at 168:20).

Members Supporting Clean Energy in Ohio

8,879 members have sent handwritten letters urging the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and Governor John Kasich to stop the financial bailout of Ohio’s outdated, least efficient coal plants as of July 25, 2015.
3,911 members have signed our "No Bailout" on-line petition.
956 neighbors have sent handwritten letters urging the U.S. EPA to enact strong carbon rules for coal-fired power plants.